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Type 2 diabetes

Until the discovery of insulin in the 1920’s, dietary modification offered the only means of reducing raised blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. Now a wide variety of sophisticated insulin regimes are available; and for people with Type 2 diabetes, there is a range of oral medication. However, there is increasing appreciation that appropriate food selection remains a cornerstone of diabetes management. While it is important to remember that the way in which

After the discovery of insulin in the 1920´s, available insulin was from natural sources (animal pancreas) until human insulin was made available in the early 1980s. None of these insulins was ideal for injection under the skin. Now, new

When we eat, the concentration of glucose in our blood rises due to the uptake of glucose from the digestion of starch and other carbohydrates in the gut. In healthy people, the increase is modest; eating activates other processes that

The recent euphoria surrounding the positive effects of preventative measures with people with impaired glucose tolerance or manifest Type 2 diabetes is rarely reflected in the experience of the health-care professionals working with people with diabetes. Despite efforts to advise and inform, there is very little lasting change in health-care behaviour. Many health-care professionals report feelings of frustration and anger. They often describe the people in their care as 'difficult'.

In order to minimize the risk of diabetes complications, effective therapy for people with Type 2 diabetes involves lifestyle changes and poly-pharmacy targeting levels of blood glucose, blood pressure and blood fat. However, the strict targets set in
recent guidelines are seldom achieved by the majority of people with diabetes. Barriers to effective diabetes therapy have been identified within the organization of health care and in the interaction between health-care providers and people with

If insulin is such an effective drug, why are so many people with type 2 diabetes reluctant to take it, and sometimes really apprehensive, despite acknowledged poor outcomes on diet and oral blood glucose lowering agents? Are healthcare providers part of the problem? Is there such syndrome as Insulin Resistance (PIR)? For a better understanding of PIR, which is commonly observed as a problem in type 2 diabetes, we need to look beyond the demonstrated efficacy of insulin, and understand people’s beliefs, emotions and concerns regarding insulin treatment.

The decision to screen for diabetes may seem an easy one to make as the condition is common, expensive, chronic and with a prognosis highly dependent on the correct treatment. On the other hand, there is a general lack of adequate screening tools, lack of knowledge regarding appropriate treatment, uncertainties regarding economic consequences and a total lack of knowledge regarding the psychological consequences of screening. Studies focusing on these issues should, therefore, be performed before systematic screening can be recommended.

When he left home to attend his regular diabetes clinic, Ray Msengana was already feeling unwell. But when he was told that the treatment of his Type 2 diabetes was to change from tablets to insulin therapy, he rapidly felt a lot worse. In this candid account of life with diabetes, Ray Msengana describes the affective impact of the condition, and makes a call for changes in the way diabetes is managed.

The 37th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) from 9-13 September, hosted by Diabetes UK, was the biggest meeting of the EASD to date. Ten thousand people in total attended the array of satellite symposia, lectures, poster sessions and the exhibition. However, the news of the terrorist attack in New York, shocking to everyone, dampened proceedings and caused logistical chaos for the American delegation. Following is a brief overview of some of the many interesting topics presented at the meeting.

While stress has long been considered an important factor in Type 2 diabetes, there has been very little experimental evidence to show how it might affect the development of the disease. This article looks at recent research evidence which demonstrates the relationship between stress and the onset and course of Type 2 diabetes and describes how simple stress management techniques can have a significant impact on long-term diabetes control.